Suspended pole banner construction



March 28, 1967 w 5, R L 3,310,899

SUSPENDED POLE BANNER CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 20. 1 66 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS WiliiaznSlHarb, WalberR. Sapndem and Thomas Friedrwksw ATTORNEYS MaICh 1967 w. s. HART ETAL SUSPENDED POLE BANNER CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 20. 1966 INVENTORS ,Wa/Lfiez'R. Siam/dens WiZLia/mSH and Thomas Fi'iedrzlakseu we; Mfi w K ATTORNEYS United States Patent SUSPENDED POLE BANNER CONSTRUCTEGN William S. Hart, Howard Beach, N.Y., and Walter R.

Saunders, Wooster, and Thomas Friedrichsen, Massillon, Ohio, assignors to The MassillomCleveland-Akron Sign Company, Massillon, (lhio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Jinn. 20, 1966, Ser. No. 521,956 6 Claims. (Cl. 40-425) The construction of the invention constitutes improvements upon the banner construction of Edward Frey Pat. No. 2,764,830.

The invention relates to a banner sign construction adapted to be mounted on a pole which may include two banner sign elements or components mounted generally parallel with each other on opposite sides of a pole, in which the banner sign elements are formed as generally rectangular sheets of flexible material on which a sign is printed or otherwise applied, and in which means is provided releasably gripping the upper and lower ends of each banner sign element suspending, supporting, and tensioning the flexible elements on either side of the pole.

The sign construction of Pat. No. 2,764,830 has many beneficial attributes but has inherent disadvantages associated with the provision of pull bars usually formed of wood and engaged in hems or sleeves formed at each end of the flexible banner elements or units for connection with the hardware means mounted on the pole which suspends and supports the banner units on the pole. These pull bars are subject to breakage. Two pull bars normally are supplied with each flexible banner element every time a new banner element is erected. In shipping such banner units with pull bars to the ultimate destination of use for erection of pole signs, such as at gasoline filling stations, the package is bulky and of extended length not less than the length of the pull bars, thereby involving shipping problems and high shipment costs.

Objects of the present invention are to provide a new pole banner construction which retains all of the advantageous features of prior flexible tensioned pole signs but which eleminates inherent difficulties characterizing prior constructions; to provide a construction which eliminates the use of a wooden stick pull bar for suspending and tensioning flexible banner elements on a pole and eliminates the cost of supplying and shipping pull bars with each banner element; to provide a construction which includes flexible banner sign elements that readily may be folded into a small and convenient-sized package, adapted to be shipped by parcel post in envelopes or packages generally having the size of a mail order catalog or a letter size file folder; to provide a construction in which the flexible banner units may be readily, simply and efficiently mounted, tensioned and retained smoothly on semi-rigid gripper bar means forming part of the sign mounting hardware normally provided for and present at the location of any particular pole; and to provide a construction eliminating difficulties heretofore existing in the art and obtaining the indicated objects in a simple, effective and inexpensive manner, thereby satisfying needs existing in the art.

These and other objects and advantages apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description and claims may be obtained, the stated results achieved and the described difliculties overcome, by the structures, devices, elements, arrangements, parts, and combinations which comprise the present invention, the nature of which is set forth in the following general statement, a preferred embodiment of which-illustrative of the best mode in which applicants have contemplated applying Patented Mar. 28, 1967 "ice the principles-45 set forth in the following description and shown in the drawings, and which are particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in the appended claims forming part hereof.

The nature of one aspect of the improved pole banner or sign construction may be stated generally as including in a pole sign adapted to be mounted on an upright supporting member or pole, a banner component comprising a generally rectangular sheet of flexible material on which a sign appears, the sheet having top and bottom edge portions, flexible pad thickening means secured to the sheet at and along the top and bottom edge portions of the sheet, mounting means supporting and suspending the banner component on a pole, the mounting means including top gripper bar means and bottom gripper bar means releasably connected to the sheet and gripping the pad thickening means at each end of the sheet, the mounting means including top bracket means having pivotal connection with the top gripper bar means, and the mounting means including bottom bracket means having spring tension connection with the bottom gripper bar means for tensioning the flexible sheet between top and bottom gripper bar means when mounted on a pole.

The nature of another aspect of the improved pole banner or sign construction may be stated generally as including in pole sign construction adapted to be mounted on an upright supporting member or pole, .a pair of banner components, each component comprising a generally rectangular sheet of flexible material on which a sign appears, the sheet having top and bottom edge portions, flexible pad thickening means secured to the sheet at and along the top and bottom edge portions of the sheet, mounting means suspending and supporting the banner components generally parallel with each other on opposite sides of a pole, the mounting means including top and bottom gripper bar means releasably connected to each sheet at the ends of the sheet and gripping the pad thickening means at the ends of the sheet,

the mounting means including top bracket means piv otally connected with each top gripper bar means, the mounting means including bottom bracket means spring tension connected with each bottom gripper bar means for tensioning each flexible sheet between the gripper bar engaged with the ends of the sheet when mounted on a pole, and means connecting under tension in spaced relation the ends of at least one of the pairs of top and bottom gripper bar means to slightly bow the gripper bar means concave inwardly toward a pole on which the sign construction is mounted.

By way of example, the improved pole banner construction is shown somewhat diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, in which;

FIGURE 1 is a general side view of the improved pole banner construction mounted on a sign pole which may be located at a gasoline filling station showing in dot-dash lines diagrammatically one position that the sign may assume when windblown;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary isometric view, with parts broken away, and a pole generally shown in dot-dash lines, illustrating the improved pole banner or sign construction erected on a sign pole;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the sign shown in FIG. 2, showing in dot-dash lines another position that the sign may assume when windblown;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the improved top gripper and mounting bar means used in the sign construction of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a similar perspective view of the improved bottom gripper bar means used in the sign construction of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. of an end portion of the improved flexible banner component and the pad thickening means provided along the bottom edge portion of the component;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 77, FIG. 2, illustrating the gripper bar means of FIG. 5 gripping the pad thickened bottom edge of the flexible banner component shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a top pole bracket used for mounting the sign on the pole; and,

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a bottom pole bracket used for mounting the sign on the pole.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the various figures of the drawings.

The improved pole sign construction is indicated generally at 1 and includes a pair of flexible banner components 2 and 3, a pair of top gripper bars 4 and 5 and a pair of bottom gripper bars 6 and 7. The top gripper bars 4 and 5 preferably are formed integrally as a part of a mounting and support member generally indicated at 8 which may be an angle member as shown, having a top flange 9 and a side flange 10. Mounting and support members 8 and gripper bars 4 and 5 integral therewith may, if desired, be formed as an extruded aluminum shape. However, members 8 with gripper bar formations may be formed of other materials or as separate parts secured together in any convenient manner.

The top and bottom gripper bars 4, 5, 6 and 7 have a special configuration or shape in cross section best shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 7. The shape includes a preferably rounded partially tubular portion 11 terminating in flange portions 12 and 13 connected to the tubular portion 11 and spaced apart to form a narrow slot 14 which communicates with the interior passage 15 through tubular portion 11. Thus, members 11, 12 and 13 in cross section form a keyhole-shaped passage from end to end of any of the gripper bars having an enlarged channel opening 15 within tubular member 11 communicating with the narrow slot 14.

The flexible banner components are formed preferably of flexible fabric, drill, canvas, polypropylene plastic or flexible cardboard on which a sign or advertising material may be printed or otherwise applied. The flexible sign component 2 or 3 is provided with flexible pad thickening means indicated generally at 16 in FIG. 6 along each top and bottom edge portion. As shown, the lower end portion of a flexible component such as component 2 may be folded over at 17 to enclose a length of rope, twine or flexible line providing the flexible pad means 16. The folded-over edge 17 may be stitched directly to the main body of flexible sheet 2 at 18 and also may be stitched at 19 directly through the rope 16.

The thus thickened end portion of any banner component sheet 2 or 3 may be entered lengthwise into the enlarged channel opening 15 of the keyhole-shaped slot in any gripper bar. The body of the flexible sheet material forming the banner component extends from the thickened edge portion through the slot 14 in any gripper bar. When tension is applied acting to separate any gripper bar, such as gripper bar 6 (FIG. 7), and a banner component 2, the thickened edge portion of the banner component becomes wedged in the throat 20 of the keyhole-slot throughout the length of the gripper bar securely to grip the edge portion of the flexible banner component 2 and hold the edge portion securely to the gripper bar.

Thus, any thickened edge of any banner component may be assembled quickly with a gripper bar 4, 5, 6 or 7 simply by telescoping the thickened edge portion of the banner component into the keyhole-shaped channel extending through the gripper bar throughout its length.

The top mounting and support members 8 may be mounted at any desired location or height on a pole 21. This mounting is preferably accomplished by attaching a typical pole strap 22 to pole 21 to engage and clamp top pole brackets 23 to the pole on opposite sides. Pole bracket 23 preferably is provided with a pin-type bent hook 24 having an upstanding pin 25 extending upwardly of the pole when mounted thereon spaced from the base of the bracket 23.

Each top support member 8 is formed with an aperture 26 midway of its length in the top flange 9. When pole clamp 22 and brackets 23 have been fixed in place on pole 21 at the desired height, top support members 8 are mounted on brackets 23 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 by engaging upstanding bracket pin 25 in support member openings 26. The mounting of support members 8 on bracket pins 24-25 in the manner shown and described thus form a substantially universal pivot mounting for the support members on the brackets.

Support members 8 with banners gripped by gripper bars may swing generally one way or another in a horizontal plane as indicated at 27 in FIG. 3, and the banners may also swing in a vertical plane as indicated at 28 in FIG. 1. These swinging movements of the banners may be combined to form many combinations of movements of the banners when windblown and thus the banners may absorb the force of the wind without damage.

The flexible banner components 2 and 3, assembled with the top gripper bars 4 and 5 on top support members 8 extend downward from the top support members 8 when mounted on pole 21 generally in spaced parallel relation on either side of pole 21 to the bottom gripper bars 6 and 7. The bottom gripper bars preferably are engaged at their midpoints by hooks 29 of springs 30 which extend through openings 31 formed in each gripper bar 6 or 7. The lower ends of springs 30 are provided with eyes 32 engaged over hooks 33 formed on pole clamp members 34 secured to pole 21 at a predetermined distance spaced below the lower ends of banner components 2 and 3 by a typical pole clamp strap 35.

The outer ends 36 and 37 of the pair of bottom gripper bars 6 and 7 preferably are connected together under sufficient tension to slightly bow the bars 6 and 7, as shown, by any suitable tensioning means maintaining the bowed ends in spaced relation under tension. As shown, the tensioning means may comprise chains 38 hooked at 39 and 40 through openings 41 in the ends of the gripper bars.

Similarly, the outer ends of the top support members 8 may be connected together and tensioned in spaced relation by tensioning means 42 to maintain the top support members slightly bowed, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

The various hardware elements illustrated, including the support bars and gripper bars, are intended to remain mounted on or associated with the particular pole to be equipped with a sign. When sign changes are made in order to present a new or dirTerent advertising message, only the flexible banner components 2 and 3 are changed. This change may be accomplished quickly merely by unhooking the springs 30 and spring tensioning spacer chains 38 and 42 and slipping the thickened end portions of the old banners out of and slipping new banner components into the gripper bars.

The banner components 2 and 3 being flexible are tensioned evenly throughout and extend smoothly between top and bottom gripper bars due to the flexibility of the thickened pad means 16.

At the same time, since the thickened pad means 16 comprise flexible material such as rope, the banner components may be folded back and forth across the thickened pad means and also lengthwise to form a smaller sized pack which may be readily packaged in a small sized envelope or package for parcel post shipment from the manufacturer directly to the filling station where the sign is to be erected.

Also, the new concept not only eliminates wooden stick pull bars but eliminates the cost of supplying and changing pull bars with each flexible banner component when the banner components are changed and new components supplied.

As indicated, the improved construction for gripping and mounting the flexible banner components provides for smooth and wrinkleless tensioning of the banner components. The banner components may withstand considerable wind force in any direction without destroying the sign because the tensioned mounting of the components and the tensioned spacing of the corners of the banner components at the four corners of the sign, and the universal pivoting of the top support members permitting the banner components to flex, belly-out and move circumferentially around the pole as shown in FIG. 3 and also to move or swing laterally of the pole, as shown in FIG. 1, and thus to withstand and absorb wind forces.

In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness and understanding, but no unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirements of the prior art, because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed.

Moreover, the description and illustration of the invention and the new constructions are by way of example, and the scope of the invention is not limited to the exact details, sizes, etc., described or shown because various signs of various sizes incorporating the fundamentals of the invention may be made without departing from the fundamental principles set forth.

Having now described the features, discoveries and principles of the invention, the assembly and erection of the new pole signs, and the advantageous new and useful results obtained thereby, the new and useful structures, devices, elements, arrangements, parts and combinations, and mechanical equivalents obvious to those skilled in the art are set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. Pole banner construction of a type in which a flexible banner component is mounted on a pole, including a flexible generally rectangular banner sheet component having upper and lower edge portions, said upper and lower edge portions having thickening means; mounting means for supporting and suspending the banner component on a pole, the mounting means including upper and lower gripper bars releasably connected to and gripping the upper and lower edge portions of the banner component, said mounting means also including an upper bracket and a lower bracket adapted to be connected to a pole in spaced relation; the upper gripper bar including a rigid angle member disposed with one angle member flange mounted in a horizontal plane, a slotted tubular portion integral with a surface of the other angle member flange and extending longitudinally therewith, and aperture means formed in one of said flanges intermediate the ends thereof; said lower gripper bar including a slotted tubular portion and aperture means formed intermediate the ends thereof; said banner component upper and lower edge thickening means being releasably held respectively in the upper and lower gripper bar slotted tubular portions; means engaged with upper bracket and said upper gripper bar aperture means supporting said upper gripper bar on said upper bracket; and tension means engaged with said lower gripper bar apperture means connecting the lower gripper bar with the lower bracket; whereby said banner may be mounted on a pole and may move by wind action and thus absorb the force of such wind without damage.

2. Pole banner construction as defined in claim 1 in which the means supporting the upper gripper bar on the upper bracket pivotally mounts the upper gripper bar on the upper bracket.

3. Pole banner construction as defined in claim 1 in which the upper bracket has a vertical pin extending therefrom, and in which said vertical pin is received in the upper gripper bar aperture means to pivotally sup port said upper gripper bar on said upper bracket.

4. Pole banner construction as defined in claim 1 in which the banner component upper and lower edge portion thickening means comprises a flexible pad formed of a length of flexible rope-like material stitched to each edge portion.

5. Pole banner construction as defined in claim 1 in which the banner component upper and lower edge portion thickening means comprises an edge portion of the flexible sheet folded over a length of flexible rope-like material, and in which the folded-over portion is stitched to the sheet.

6. Pole banner construction as defined in claim 1 in which a pair of flexible sheet banner components is provided, in which the mounting means supports and suspends the banner components generally parallel with each other on opposite sides of a pole, and in which means is provided connecting under tension and in spaced relation the ends at least of the gripper bars at the lower edge portions of the pair of banner components.

References Qited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,715,707 6/1929 Jenkins 40125 X 1,782,905 11/1930 Mahun -387 2,189,567 2/1940 Miller 40125 X 2,764,830 10/1956 Frey 40-145 X 2,922,471 1/1960 Nicholas 160-387 X 2,954,627 10/1960 Kies 40-125 EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

H. F. ROSS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. POLE BANNER CONSTRUCTION OF A TYPE IN WHICH A FLEXIBLE BANNER COMPONENT IS MOUNTED ON A POLE, INCLUDING A FLEXIBLE GENERALLY RECTANGULAR BANNER SHEET COMPONENT HAVING UPPER AND LOWER EDGE PORTIONS, SAID UPPER AND LOWER EDGE PORTIONS HAVING THICKENING MEANS; MOUNTING MEANS FOR SUPPORTING AND SUSPENDING THE BANNER COMPONENT ON A POLE, THE MOUNTING MEANS INCLUDING UPPER AND LOWER GRIPPER BARS RELEASABLY CONNECTED TO AND GRIPPING THE UPPER AND LOWER EDGE PORTIONS OF THE BANNER COMPONENT, SAID MOUNTING MEANS ALSO INCLUDING AN UPPER BRACKET AND A LOWER BRACKET ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO A POLE IN SPACED RELATION; THE UPPER GRIPPER BAR INCLUDING A RIGID ANGLE MEMBER DISPOSED WITH ONE ANGLE MEMBER FLANGE MOUNTED IN A HORIZONTAL PLANE, A SLOTTED TUBULAR PORTION INTEGRAL WITH A SURFACE OF THE OTHER ANGLE MEMBER FLANGE AND EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY THEREWITH, AND APERTURE MEANS FORMED IN ONE OF SAID FLANGES INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS THEREOF; SAID LOWER GRIPPER BAR INCLUDING A SLOTTED TUBULAR PORTION AND APERTURE MEANS FORMED INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS THEREOF; SAID BANNER COMPONENT UPPER AND LOWER EDGE THICKENING MEANS BEING RELEASABLY HELD RESPECTIVELY IN THE UPPER AND LOWER GRIPPER BAR SLOTTED TUBULAR PORTIONS; MEANS ENGAGED WITH UPPER BRACKET AND SAID UPPER 